By Ryan Ohara, GVJCI Community Outreach and Social Media Intern
The Teru Teru Bozu Doll is a special Japanese cloth ornament believed to promote good weather when hung by it's string. It's name roughly translates to “shiny monk”, which can be attributed to the dolls likeness to a bald-headed monk. The doll dates back as far as the Edo period in Japan, where it was popular among children to hang it in front of their window before heading outside. Many of these same dolls can still be found in Japan today, especially during rainy season and before special events.
If you need your own tiny spirit to guard your home from bad weather tomorrow, look no further! The weather controlling pokemon Castform will make sure your future days are as bright and sunny as ever! The doll itself is very easy to make and requires materials commonly found in any household. Just follow this simple tutorial below!
Preparation
To start making the doll, all you need is some white cloth, string, cotton balls, scissors, safety pins, and markers for the design.
To start making the doll, all you need is some white cloth, string, cotton balls, scissors, safety pins, and markers for the design.
Step 1
Cut out a small square piece from the cloth using scissors. It doesn't have to be perfect!
Cut out a small square piece from the cloth using scissors. It doesn't have to be perfect!
Step 2
Draw a design on the cloth using markers. For this tutorial we'll be drawing Castform's face, but if you're doing anything else this is your chance to be creative! Make sure to draw the face a little below the center of the cloth piece so that the face lines up with the front of the head.
Draw a design on the cloth using markers. For this tutorial we'll be drawing Castform's face, but if you're doing anything else this is your chance to be creative! Make sure to draw the face a little below the center of the cloth piece so that the face lines up with the front of the head.
Step 3
Place some cotton balls on the inside of the cloth and wrap around the cotton such that the design is facing the outside. If the head isn't big enough, just add more cotton balls! If you are satisfied, tie the end with string to secure it in place.
Place some cotton balls on the inside of the cloth and wrap around the cotton such that the design is facing the outside. If the head isn't big enough, just add more cotton balls! If you are satisfied, tie the end with string to secure it in place.
Step 4
Insert a safety pin at the top of the head. Loop a long piece of string through the safety pin and tie it. This is the string where the doll will hang from.
Insert a safety pin at the top of the head. Loop a long piece of string through the safety pin and tie it. This is the string where the doll will hang from.
And that's it! Make sure to hang it up before you head outside tomorrow so that your day is nice and sunny! Feel free to experiment with different designs so that Castform has lots of friends to play with!